If anyone besides Greater Lord Rukkhadevata could feel the deepest connection to the changes sweeping through Suru, it was undoubtedly Lesser Lord Kusanali.
Imprisoned within the energy cage known as the ditation Device, Lesser Lord Kusanali—identical in appearance to the young Greater Lord Rukkhadevata—was both her fragnt and, in a sense, her daughter. She was like a caged golden canary with broken wings.
Every bit of joy from the land of Suru reached her ears.
She heard the jubilant cries of elental creatures freed from pollution as they regained their senses.
She felt the purity of the ley lines as their tainted energies were cleansed.
She sensed the elation of Suru's people, shedding tears of joy as the shadow of Eleazar lifted.
And within the dense purification energies, she heard the voice of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
"Greater Lord Rukkhadevata…"
Lesser Lord Kusanali pressed her small hands against the energy cage, her innocent and pure eyes gazing toward the door of the Sanctuary of Surasthana.
From the mont she was born, she had longed to et this person.
She had believed that Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had perished long before her creation. She never expected to hear her voice again.
She has returned. The one beloved by the people of Suru has co back.
I am unworthy to be a true god.
Lesser Lord Kusanali thought to herself, her heart heavy.
Because she lacked the power and wisdom that the people of Suru hoped for, she had been abandoned, cast aside.
I am not worthy of being the god of Suru.
But it's okay, because you have returned.
As she was lost in her thoughts, footsteps echoed through the chamber. Startled, she turned her gaze like a frightened fawn.
A golden-eyed young man with an imposing aura appeared seemingly out of nowhere, walking toward her.
Before she could ask who he was, he spoke.
"Is that really what you believe, Nahida?"
Lesser Lord Kusanali blinked, startled out of her reverie. "Who are you? Are you asking that question?"
Noah gazed at the imprisoned Lesser Lord Kusanali.
As the Heavenly Principle, reading thoughts was trivial—no god could escape his scrutiny.
Of course, he knew what was in her heart.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and Lesser Lord Kusanali both derived their ability to perceive thoughts from fragnts of the Law of the Mind.
Their primordial fragnts were amalgamations of nurous chaotic rules—a diverse but unfocused core. If their abilities were refined, they could truly live up to the title of the God of Wisdom.
"Do you truly believe the Akademiya imprisoned you because you disappointed them? Who told you that? Was it the entire population of Suru?"
Lesser Lord Kusanali, unsure of who this young man was, sensed his imposing deanor and faint divine aura.
Could he be a god? Perhaps the Geo Archon from neighboring Liyue?
With humility, she replied, "Yes, the sages of the Akademiya are disappointed in because my wisdom cannot bring happiness to the people of Suru. My divine power is insufficient to even cure Eleazar."
Noah's golden eyes glinted coldly as he let out a derisive snort. "Foolishness, utter foolishness. Do you know how I perceive you, Nahida?"
His imposing and icy deanor radiated outward, carrying his displeasure.
Startled, Lesser Lord Kusanali froze under the weight of his divine presence, her clear eyes wide and fixed on him in stunned silence.
"You, in my eyes, are like a wild beast tad by a group of monkeys," Noah said coldly.
"The monkeys, taking advantage of the beast's ignorance, pulled out its teeth, cut off its claws, and then told the beast: 'You must cut a piece of flesh from yourself every day for us to eat. Only then are you kind, wise, and useful.'"
"The beast, indoctrinated by the monkeys, cos to believe this is the truth."
"But in the eyes of the monkeys, the beast is nothing more than livestock locked in a stable."
Lesser Lord Kusanali puffed her cheeks indignantly. "Why would you say that about , and about the people of Suru like this?"
Noah continued, ignoring her frustration. "Do you think the Akademiya represents the people of Suru?"
Lesser Lord Kusanali nodded. "The Akademiya is the governing body of Suru, of course it represents the people."
Noah chuckled mockingly. "To , they are nothing more than brain-eating parasites. They've consud the brain of the body they control, taking its place, and now act as its mind."
"The Akademiya does not represent the people of Suru. They imprisoned you because they fear your growth. They fear that you will hear the voices of Suru's people."
"They fear that when you grow, and at the behest of Suru's citizens, you will rid the land of these brain-eating parasites entirely."
"After imprisoning you, they reveled in their arrogance, proud of themselves. 'Look,' they say, 'as re humans, we've confined a god.'"
"And you, thinking it was your own inadequacy, sought to prove yourself to them at every turn. It's laughable, truly laughable."
"You must understand, even Greater Lord Rukkhadevata took thousands of years of learning to truly beco the God of Wisdom."
"As for forbidden knowledge and the abyssal power—did you forget? Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, King Deshret, the forr Hydro Archon, Egeria, the forr Pyro Archon, the forr Cryo Archon, and the forr Electro Archon all perished because of it."
"Tell , why do you think you're incapable?"
"Right now, you're like a tad beast, passively accepting the bones and whips thrown at you by your master."
Noah leaned in slightly, his tone sharp as he asked again, "So I'll ask you one more ti—do you truly believe the Akademiya represents the people of Suru?"
Lesser Lord Kusanali, though young and inexperienced, was not foolish. Noah's words pierced straight into her soul, forcing her to confront truths she had long ignored.
As she reflected deeply, mories of her limited interactions with Suru's people resurfaced—along with their complaints and grievances:
"Oh, god, a scholar's son from the Akademiya cut off my daughter's hand just because he fancied it."
"Damn Kshahrewar! He stole my research simply because his ntor is a sage!"
"Those Akademiya rchants keep forcing to sell at unfair prices. I can't make a living this way."
"The Akademiya oppresses us desert dwellers every year, taking our at through forceful deals. How will we survive this winter? How many clansn will starve to death?"
"Hey, did you hear? An Akademiya ntor kidnapped Fat's son for human experints. Fat's been missing for days trying to find him."
"Those Akademiya scholars act like tyrants. I can't keep my business open because of them."
Lesser Lord Kusanali's heart sank as the voices played in her mind.
Noah let out a cold snort, snapping her out of her daze. "Do you know what kind of resolve is needed to be a qualified god?"
Her worldview, shaped by her limited experiences, began to shatter under Noah's relentless teachings. Her small fra trembled as she felt the weight of his words.
Suddenly, the mories of forest rangers and their training thods surfaced in her mind. She had seen them ta wild hawks—breaking their will through relentless conditioning until they beca obedient tools.
Am I… like one of those hawks?
I am angry too.
Noah watched as Lesser Lord Kusanali gradually regained her composure. He knew the fragnt of the Law of Wisdom within her divine essence would enable her to understand as long as he guided her properly.
Lowering her head, Kusanali clenched her tiny fists tightly. With newfound humility and determination, she asked, "Please, tell —how can I beco a qualified god?"
Noah watched as Lesser Lord Kusanali rediscovered her sense of self. His golden eyes shone with an even deeper, more profound authority, eventually evolving into an aura of supre divinity.
Behind him, the Primordial Law Ring appeared faintly, manifesting unconsciously as his emotions surged.
Lesser Lord Kusanali felt the overwhelming majesty emanating from him and the undeniable connection between their divine essences. Her clover-shaped eyes widened in shock, trembling with both awe and fear.
This is the aura of the Heavenly Principle.
The male god before her wasn't just a god—he was the Lord Heavenly Principle.
She didn't even have ti to wonder why the Heavenly Principle had co here before his voice, resonating straight into her soul, filled her ears.
"A qualified god must listen to the voices of every single one of their people. Then, it is the god who allows, the god who acknowledges, the god who judges, and the god who defines what is right and wrong."
With those words, Noah waved his hand, and the ditation Device that had confined Kusanali for centuries instantly lost its power.
Her body was freed. For the first ti in 500 years, Kusanali was no longer confined to a re five-ter radius. Her bare feet slowly touched the ground.
She lifted her gaze, looking at the Heavenly Principle who now stood before her.
Isn't the Heavenly Principle supposed to be Phanes?
Her inherited mories told her that Phanes was the Heavenly Principle—a goddess. Yet, this Heavenly Principle was a god, not a goddess.
"Are you… the Heavenly Principle?" she asked hesitantly.
Noah didn't answer her question. Instead, he placed a hand on her head, his voice softening slightly.
"I'm not here to reprimand you. I'm simply furious with the current state of Suru. You are rely a victim."
Kusanali felt strange. This was the first ti soone had touched her head, and it was none other than the supre Heavenly Principle.
It felt akin to a noble child being patted on the head by an emperor.
"Is it… because of the Akademiya?" she asked, quickly connecting the dots.
Kusanali was sharp—she grasped the aning behind Noah's every word and internalized it.
As Noah continued to pat her head, his fingers caught one of her pointed, elven ears, causing her to tremble slightly. Perhaps it was a sensitive spot for her.
"The Akademiya is only part of the problem," Noah replied, his tone calm yet resolute.
"Humans have short lifespans, barely a century. From the mont they imprisoned you, this country was no longer the Suru it was ant to be."
"This nation was built upon the foundation of imprisoning its god."
Kusanali absorbed Noah's teachings. As the Heavenly Principle, his words were not just lessons—they were absolute truths.
The Heavenly Principle is the god of gods, the supre authority.
Although… having her ears pinched like this felt incredibly odd.
"Suru's gods exist by the decree of the Heavenly Principle. Therefore, the Suru of today has effectively beco an enemy of the Heavenly Principle—a rebellion against divine order," Noah continued.
"And they are even attempting to create an artificial god."
"When those rebels succeed in creating a god, their arrogance will lead them to believe, 'We can create gods. We have surpassed gods.'"
"And once they think that, what will happen next? Soone as clever as you should be able to imagine it."
As he spoke, Noah's other hand reached out to pinch her other elven ear.
This was… strangely satisfying.
Kusanali's face flushed as she felt the Heavenly Principle's hands firmly grasping both of her ears, but she didn't resist. Instead, she clenched her small fists tightly and resolved to internalize his every word.
The teachings of the Heavenly Principle would shape the path she would follow.
Lesser Lord Kusanali, deep in thought, quickly pieced together the implications of Noah's teachings and her own understanding.
If the Akademiya succeeded in creating an artificial god, it would undoubtedly adopt a condescending attitude toward the gods of other nations.
It might even provoke war—just like the godless nation of Khaenri'ah.
When that ti ca, the Heavenly Principle would surely te out punishnt.
Fear crept into Lesser Lord Kusanali's heart. At that mont, Suru could end up like Khaenri'ah, sentenced to death by the Heavenly Principle.
She bowed her head, suppressing the strange feeling of Noah pinching her sensitive elven ears. "I'm sorry, Lord Heavenly Principle. This was all the Akademiya's deception. It has nothing to do with the common people of Suru."
"Ah!"
Before she could say more, Noah lifted her into his arms. Startled, Kusanali instinctively clutched his shoulders, her wide eyes eting his face, now so close.
"Though you are 500 years old, your experience is no different from that of a newly born god. Watch how Greater Lord Rukkhadevata handles the current situation in Suru. Learn from her," Noah said firmly.
Kusanali placed her small hands over her chest, feeling the rapid beating of her heart.
Why is my heart racing? Is it because I'm being held by the Heavenly Principle?
Why does the Heavenly Principle care so much for ?
Her confusion grew as she pondered his kindness.
Noah, noticing the dazed expression and quickened heartbeat of Kusanali, couldn't help but smile faintly. Holding her like this, however, her pointed elven ears poked against his face. Without thinking, his mouth acted before his brain, and he gave her ear a playful nibble.
Kusanali trembled slightly, her innocent eyes looking up at him.
Does the Heavenly Principle like this?
It reminded her of the tis she had secretly left the Sanctuary of Surasthana and observed humans engaging in incomprehensible and seemingly aningless behaviors that nonetheless brought them satisfaction.
The Heavenly Principle is right—my experience is far too limited. Compared to my predecessors, I'm too young to understand such things. But I'll learn with ti.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata took a thousand years to beco the true God of Wisdom.
Noah, seeing the pure and innocent gaze in her eyes, felt a slight pang of guilt.
But then he reminded himself that Kusanali was soone he treated like a daughter. Despite her cuteness, which made her even more endearing, he would wait until she matured before considering anything else.
Carrying Kusanali, Noah strode out of the Sanctuary of Surasthana.
At that mont, Suru was on the brink of its first major reckoning since the Archon Wars.
The Akademiya
In the heart of the Akademiya, scholars responsible for maintaining the Akasha System—a dream-based device created by Greater Lord Rukkhadevata—discovered that it was no longer functioning under their control.
The permissions they once held had been completely revoked.
Not only that, the terminals connected to the Akasha System also beca unresponsive, operating entirely autonomously.
Panicked, the scholars rushed to inform Grand Sage Azar.
"Teacher, sothing's wrong! The Akasha System is completely out of our control! And none of us can operate our Akasha Terminals either!"
Azar's eyes widened in disbelief. "What did you say?! The Akasha System isn't responding? Let see!"
After personally inspecting the system, Azar began to tremble. "What… what is going on?! I hold the highest authority over the Akasha System!"
Then it struck him—Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
The Akasha System was her creation. If she has truly returned, is she reclaiming the Akasha System?
Before he could act, a voice, gentle yet imbued with divine authority, echoed through his Akasha Terminal:
"People of Suru, I, your god, Buer, have returned. Thank you for enduring these 500 years."
"But this is no ti for celebration. Here is my first divine decree upon my return."
"I declare: the entire Akademiya is guilty."
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